Thank you for your interest in the Family Education Fellowship. The application process is now closed.

Jewish family education has enormous potential for enriching Jewish communities, but only if we enrich the field itself.

The Covenant Foundation has long been invested in the potential for Jewish family education. Former Executive Director of The Covenant Foundation, Harlene Winnink Appelman, z”l, was herself a family educator. This fellowship was launched in 2023 to honor her legacy and carry on the bold, visionary work required to build the field of Jewish family education for generations to come. Learn more about our inaugural fellow, Jonathan Shmidt Chapman, here.

Now approaching our second year, The Covenant Foundation is accepting applications for the next Jewish Family Education Fellow to share their insight and enthusiasm to help us build on this critical work.

What is the opportunity?

The Covenant Foundation’s Jewish Family Education Fellowship honors an outstanding Jewish family education professional, giving them the time, space, and kavod required to nurture and grow bold ideas that enrich the field.

The fellow will receive:

• A $50,000 Fellowship Grant and travel budget
• Support from The Covenant Foundation’s team to inform and enrich your work
• Access to a broad network of outstanding leaders in Jewish education
• A platform for publishing

What does it mean to be a fellow?

The Covenant Foundation Jewish Family Education Fellow becomes a true partner with Covenant in advancing the field of Jewish family education. Over the course of one year, the fellow will:

• Research and Design: The fellow should have a big dream for Jewish family education, and be ready to explore the research and the realities of Jewish families today, that will inform how that dream can come to life.
• Create and Innovate: Learning and doing go hand-in-hand. The fellow won’t just research, but will test new approaches for learning and engagement strategies that will benefit Jewish families across the country.
• Network and Share: Innovation happens in relationship. The fellow will connect with leaders in Jewish education, becoming integrated with the Foundation’s extensive network (including, but not limited to, grantee organizations, Covenant Award recipients, and Pomegranate Prize recipients).
• Reflect and Influence: We learn by reflecting on experience; we influence by sharing those reflections with others. The fellow will grow their thought leadership by writing about their insights for Sight Line (The Covenant Foundation’s digital journal) and other prominent publications.

Who should apply?

Educators working in any nonprofit, academic, or Jewish education setting in North America are eligible to apply.

Applicants must:

• Have strong writing skills
• Have significant, demonstrated experience and expertise in Jewish family engagement as a practice and/or a field of study
• Bring an innovative, entrepreneurial spirit to their work
• Approach their efforts with generosity of spirit, and the ability to be both self-directed and collaborative
• Have a master’s degree or higher (preferred, but not required)

Note that participating in this fellowship is not compatible with a full-time position — the fellow should expect to spend 20 hours/week on these activities. The goals and expectations of the fellowship` are best met in combination with a sabbatical year or part-time/freelance employment.

The innovative programming and initiatives the fellow develops are intended to be broadly applicable. They should have potential for significant impact on Jewish communities across the country, well beyond the walls of the fellow’s current organization or any single institution.

The Jewish Family Education Fellowship is one crucial piece of a much bigger effort to enrich the field of Jewish family education. We are eager to meet our next partner in this work.

Have questions? Contact us here.